Skipping devices



Jan. 12, 1965 v. PETRusEK 3,165,315

SKIPPING DEVICES Filed Dec. 5, 1963 lnvenfon VICTOR PETRUSEK United States Patent: O

3,165,315 SKIPPING DEVICES Victor Petrusek, 14611 Halsted St., Harvey, Ill.

- Filed Dec. 5, 1963, Ser. No. 328,347

12 Claims. (Cl. 272-74) This inventionrelates to new and useful improvements in amusement and exercising devices, and in particular, the principal object of the invention is to provide a novel skipping device.

While so-called skipping ropes and similar devices are well known in the art, both in the form where the rope is manipulated by the user or by some external mechanical means while the user skips over the rope with both feet, the present invention provides a novel arrangement wherein the rope is attached to and manipulated byv one foot of the user who skips over therope with the other foot.

More specifically, the inventionl contemplates the pro- Vision of attachment means which are adapted to be secured to one foot of the user, an elongated fiexible tethering elementV or rope which is connected a't one end thereof to the attachment means, and a weight provided at the other end of the rope, so that When a gyratory movement is imparted to the attachment means' by the foot with which the same are associated, the weight is orbited around the attachmentmeans while being tethered thereto by the rope, and the user must skip over the rope with the other foot in order that orbiting of the weight may continue.

Manifestly, the skipping device of the invention is of such nature that amusement as well as physical exercise may be derived from the use thereof, and the'invention `is Well adapted to serve as "a novelty toy.

Another feature of the invention resides in providing the attachment means with a receptacle containing soundV producing means such as bells, which become actuated When movement to the attachment means is imparted by the foot of the user. Moreover, the receptacle affords a convenient storage compartment for the associated skipping rope and weightrwhen the device is not in use.

Other advantages of the invention reside in its simple construction and in its adaptability to convenient and very economical manufacture.

With the foregoing more important object and features in view and such other objects and .features as may become apparent as this specification proceeds, the invention will be understood from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like characters of reference are used to designate like parts, and wherein: v

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view showing the skipping device of the invention in use;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the device per se; and

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary Vertical sectional View of the device With the receptacle cover closed.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings in detail, the skipping device of the invention is designated generally by the reference numeral and embodies in its construction attachment means 11 which are adapted to be secured to one foot, for example, the left foot 12 of the user indicated at 13. The attachment means 11 may be secured to any suitable or convenient portion of the users foot 12, but preferably, the attachment means comprise a heel receiving member in the form of a socket 14 which is adapted to receive the heel of the users shoe, the socket having a bottom 15 which underlies the shoe heel, and an upstanding marginal flange 16 at the sides and back of the bottom, as will be elearly apparent. The socket 14 is removably attached to the userls foot by a pair of straps 17, 18 which extend from the flange 16 at the opposite sides of the socket. One of the straps, for example, the

3,1%,315 Paterited Jan. 12, 1965 ICC Strap 17 is provided with a row of apertures 19 for adjustable coaction with a conventional buckle 19' provided on the other strap 18, the straps being extended over the foot and buckled together in an obvious manner so as to retain the heel socket 14 in position.

A receptacle 20 is carried by the rear portion of the heel socket fiange 16 and includes a bottom 21 which is preferably spaced above the bottom 15 of the heel socket, as is best shown in FIGURE 3. The receptacle 26* also includes an openable cover 22 with a lip 23 which snapfits into the receptacle to retain the cover in its closed position; It may be explained at this point that the entire device, thus far described, is preferably molded in one piece from flexible plastic material, including an integral connection of the straps 17, 18 and of the receptacle 2d to the fiange 16 of the heel socket, and an integral connection of the cover 22 to the receptacle, so that separate hingemeans for the cover need not be provided.

The bottom 21 of the receptacle 20 is formed with an aperture 24 through which is passed one end of an elongated, tlexible tethering element which may be also referred to as a skipping rope or cord 25, the same being prevented from Withdrawing from the aperture 241 by suitable means, as by a knot Ze formed at the end thereof. The other or outside end of the element or rope 25 carries a suitable weight, as for example, a ball 27.

When the device is placed in use, the attachment means 11 are secured to one foot of the user, for example the foot 12, by applying the socket 14 to the heel and fastening the straps 17, 18, as will be readily understood. The user then lifts the foot 12 off the ground and moves the same in a gyratory fashion, thus causing the ball 27 to swing outwardly by centrifugal force and to revolve or orbit around the foot attachment while being tethered by the element or rope 25, the orbiting movement of the ball being indicated at 28 in FIGURE 1. It is significant to note that the rope 25 is of such length that the orbit of the ball 27 encompasses the other foot 29 of the user, so that each time the ball in its orbit comes in the proximity of the other foot, the user must skip or jump with the other foot 29 over the ball tethering element or rope 25, in order that the orbiting of the ball may continue. lt will be appreciated that although the ball is kept in its orbit by centrifugal force resulting from gyration of the attachment means 11 by the foot 12, the gravitational force which also acts on the ball causes the skipping rope to slant downwardly in a radially outward direction, so that the rope does not become obstructed by the heel socket 14 even when the bottom 15 of the socket is disposed below the bottom 21 of the receptacle 20 to which the rope is connected. The primary reason for disposing the bottom 21 of the receptacle above the bottom 15 of the heel socket is to permit at least a partial orbiting movement of the ball, around the sides and back of Ithe foot, while the foot 12 is resting on the ground in order to enable the other foot 29 to skip over the rope. However, the device may be used in a alternative manner by keeping the foot 12 off the ground at all times and skipping over the rope with the other foot 29, so that both feet of the user are oi' the ground at the time when the rope skipping action is performed.

The receptacle 2d preferably contains sound producing means, such as one or more bells 30 which become agitated and actuated by the movement of the foot 12 and thus enhance the amusing nature of the device. Moreover, it will be apparent that the skipping rope 25 as well Vas the ball 27 may be conveniently stored in the recepmodifications may become apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention relates. Accordingly, it is not desired to limit the invention to this disclosure and various modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is:

1. A skipping device comprising in combination, attachment means including adapted to be secured to one foot of a user, an elongated flexible tethering element connected at one end thereof to said attachment means, and a `Weight provided at the other end of said element, said element being suficiently long Whereby a gyratory movement imparted to said attachment means by said one foot'of the user may orbit said Weightaround the attachment means while being tethered by said element and'whereby the user must skip over said tethering element With the other foot in order for theV orbiting of said weight to continue.

2. The device as defined in claim 1 Wherein said attachment means also include an attachment member having said one endof said element connected thereto, said straps being provided on said member for removably attaching the'same to the foot of a user.

3. The device as defined in claim 1 'wherein said sattachment means also include a attachment'member having non-elastic adjustable straps v tory movement imparted to said .attachment means by said one footof the user may orbit said Weightaround said receptacle while being tethered by said element and Whereby the user must skip over said ltethering element With the other foot in order for the orbiting of said weight to Continue, and means in said receptacle for' producing noise in Aresponse to movement impartedto said attachment means.

7. The device `as defined in claim V6 Wherein said attachmentmeans'also include a heel` receiving socket having a i socket., i

10. The device as definedlin claim 6=wherein saidreceptaclel is provided Withmeans for receiving said tetherv ing element and said Weightwhen notin use.

a bottom'portion adapted to underlie a user's foot, said straps being provided on said member for removably attaching the same tothe foot, said tethering element being connected to said attachment member at a point' spaced above said bottom portion thereof.

4. The device as-defined in claim 1 wherein said attachment means also include a heel receiving socket, said straps being provided on said socketV for removably attaching the same to the foot of a user.

5. The device as defined in claim, 1 wherein said attachment means also include a heel receiving socket having a bottom ladapted to underlie the heel,V said straps being provided on said socket for removably attaching the same to the foot, and means provided exteriorly on the socket above the bottom thereof for connecting said element thereto.

6. A skipping device comprising in combinatiomattachment means including adjustable straps adapted to be se- 11. A skipping device comprising in combination a heelV i oonforming andreceiving socket, means for attaching said socketto the heel of one foot` of a user, an elongated tethering element connected at one end thereof to said socket,

and a weight provided at the other end'of said element, said element being sufficiently :long Whereby a gyratory Vrnovement imparted to said socket by said one foot of the 'References Cited by the Ezramineii'l UNITED STATES PATENTS' 795,960 V8/05 Cook V '27'3* 58.5 11371315 3/21 LogzmnV 272 75 3,140,871 7/64 .Liquofi 272 `74 RICHARD. C. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner; 

6. A SKIPPING DEVICE COMPRISING IN COMBINATION, ATTACHMENT MEANS INCLUDING ADJUSTABLE STRAPS ADAPTED TO BE SECURED TO ONE FOOT OF A USER, A RECEPTACLE CARRIED BY SAID ATTACHMENT MEANS, AN ELONGATED FLEXIBLE TETHERING ELEMENT CONNECTED AT ONE END THEREOF TO THE BOTTOM OF SAID RECEPTACLE, AND A WEIGHT PROVIDED AT THE OTHER END OF SAID ELEMENT, SAID ELEMENT BEING SUFFICIENTLY LONG WHEREBY A GYRATORY MOVEMENT IMPARTED TO SAID ATTACHMENT MEANS BY SAID ONE FOOT OF THE USER MAY ORBIT SAID WEIGHT AROUND SAID RECEPTACLE WHILE BEING TETHERED BY SAID ELEMENT AND WHEREBY THE USER MUST SKIP OVER SAID TETHERING ELEMENT WITH THE OTHER FOOT IN ORDER FOR THE ORBITING OF SAID WEIGHT TO CONTINUE, AND MEANS IN SAID RECEPTACLE FOR PRODUCING NOISE IN RESPONSE TO MOVEMENT IMPARTED TO SAID ATTACHMENT MEANS. 